From Wikipedia: "Gender studies is a field of interdisciplinary study which analyzes the phenomenon of gender. Gender Studies is sometimes related to studies of class, race, ethnicity, sexuality and location. The philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said: “One is not born a woman, one becomes one.” In Gender Studies the term "gender" is used to refer to the social and cultural constructions of masculinities and femininities. It does not refer to biological difference, but rather cultural difference. The field emerged from a number of different areas: the sociology of the 1950s and later; the theories of the psychoanalyst Jaques Lacan; and the work of feminists such as Judith Butler. Each field came to regard "gender" as a practice, sometimes referred to as something that is performative."
I've been wanting to take a Gender Studies course for a while, but never managed to squeeze it into my uni timetable. I do study English though, and it's amazing how often feminism, queer theory, etc. pop up in readings. It's probably the most interesting part of my classes.
Hey for my doctoral research on the gender and sex roles of male counsellors i quoted De Beauvoir! Very intresting reading!
